Buffet or breakfast car



Oct. 30, 1928. I 1,689,900

I. WILLIAMS Y BUFFET OR BREAKFAST CAR Filed June 28,1928 '5 Sheets-Sheet 1 @Mi/i YAF'I Oct. 30, 1928. 1,689,900

|. WILLIAMS BUFFET OR BREAKFAST CAR Filed June 28, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 e 3 h N r I Oct. 30, 1928. 1,689,900

I. WILLIAMS BUFFET 0R BREAKFAST CAR Filed June 28, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Li-N Jil

Patented on. 30, 1928,

x UNITED TA E PATENT OFFICE,

Int wmrms, or wasnma ron ms'rmor or COLUMBIA.

BUFFET OR BREAKFAST GAB.

Application med line 2a, 1928. Serial mi. 288,898.

This invention relates to railway cars and i more particularly to combine bufi'et or breakfast and 7' passenger cars, and is particularly intended for early morning use in large cities and in the, territory tributary thereto and will be embodied in street cars and suburban train cars, rather than in the usual long distance or through express tra ns.

Heretofore,many residents of large cities and of suburban aleas tributary thereto have not infrequently had to make the choice a of either being late at their places of employment or of going without their breakfasts, thus either losing time orimpairing their efliciency for the forenoon.

The present invention has for its primary objects to provide a breakfast car having a breakfast shelf or, ledge in combination with a special seating arrangement whereby the carrying capacity of the car is maintained at the normal or usual seatingcapacity or substantially so notwithstanding the provision of such breakfastin shelf;to provide conveniently to each brea fast chair suitable tablet-ware, such as paper cup, eating-utensils etc. with something in the nature of crackers, toast, or wafers, and the choice of at least two beverages, Other objects are to provide convenienteasy means for the disposal of waste, suchas wrappings, paper cereals, bottled milk, pies, cakes, pastry etc.

to be soldby theconductor at such counter to those desiring amore substantial breakfast. a, V

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention: .e

Figure 1 represents a horizontalsectional view on line 11 of"Fig.' 3, looking downward, showing the. dispensing and seating arrangements in plan;

Figure 2, an enlarged vertical sectional view, broken away, of aportion of such car to illustrate the breakfast ledge: or shelf,

dispensing, seating, trash and liquid disposal arrangements; and

Figure 3, an enlarged vertical cross-sectionalview on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, A designates the car floor-,B the top, Q the sides, D the ends, E thewindows and F the posts or panels between the windows. f

Along one side below the windows E and at a point corresponding roughly to the point where the lower edges ofthe windows usually are 'located,1s arranged a breakfast- 1ng shell or ledge 1 extendlng for 'substamtially the full length ofthe'side of the car,

not including, of course, theend platforms.

The windows B have their lower sills arranged at an interval above said shelf 1,

preferably about four to six inches to provide roonifor a series 0f,preferably coincontrolled, boxes or compartments 2, preferably having coin slots 3, immediately be low each WllIClOW E at a distance from the top of the shelf 1 suilicientto permit an average height cup etc. to he slid back on said shelf 'beneath said boxes. or compart- 5;

ments 2..

The posts or panels F between the car windows E Will preterablybe formed integral with the rest of the preferably metal car body and if of metal will preferably be elongated U-shape in cross-section with the cavity of each presented toward the interior of the car, and will be slightly wider-than usual to accomodatecoin-controlled cofliee or chocolate or coca urns or dispensers l'each having a-coin-slot 5 and; a coin-controlled valve or cook 6, a water tank 7 being 'slrmilarly mounted ateach end of the car and provided with the usual turn cock or spigotB and the interior trim, lining or coveringoi the car beingon said posts or'panels approximately'between the upper and lower sills of saidwindowsE to partially accommo- 7 date the respective urns or dispensers 4 in the cavities of the respective posts or panels The boxes or compartments 2 will be arranged in gangs, a gang being arranged below eachwlndow E above shelfor ledge 1,

sideto. side of said window and stopping coincident with, or between, vertical planes coincident with the sides of said window, thereby leaving the space between the windows and beneath each :urn or dispenser 4 and each gang preferably extending from unobstructed and so permitting the fullest access to the cocks (3 thereof by customers or breakfasters waiting on themselves.

In each box or compartment 2 will be arranged a wrapped package 9 containing suitable vessels, eating utensils and ediblcs, such as, for instance, a paper cup, :1 paper spoon, two or more lumps of sugar, a paper napkin, a small sealed receptacle of cream, and some crackers, wafers, cakes, etc., each compartment or box 2 having such a package placed in it by an attendant at a central servicing point, and being locked, prior to starting on the morning trip.

The shelf 1 will have an edge ledge or guard 10, and will preferably have its upper surface incline very slightly downwardly from said rail 10 outwardly to a drain groove 11 formed in the top face of the said shelf 1 near the outer edge portion thereof and coinmunicating between each two windows E with a drain pipe or tube 12 extending from said shelf 1 through the floor of the car so that any liquids spilled on said shelf 1 will flow to said groove 11 and so escape through the pipes or tubes 12 and be discharged by the latter through the floor A to the street or roadbed surface.

A seat 13 is arranged at each window E, each said seat 13 being secured to the floor A. adjacent to said shelf 1, facing toward the latter preferably in the middle of its respective window E and extending slightly under the shelf 1 and being permanently mounted in the above relative arrangement.

Adjacent each said seat 13 and under the shelf 1 is arranged a trash receiver or hopper 1-1 having its upper end open to receive waste such as paper cup, napkins, paper spoons, wrappings etc, as discarded by the patrons as they finish their brei kfasts, and each said hopper is provided with a movable bottom plate or closure 15 pivotally mounted as at 16 and normally held closed by, for instance, a spring catch 17, so as to retain such waste or trash until the car reaches the central service station or some terminal or station where such trash can be removed, thus guard ing against the scattering of such trash all along the right of way. In the construction illustrated the hoppers 11 extend through and below the floor A.

At each end of the car is arranged a showcase, counter or cabinet 18 convenient to the (!O]l(lllCfO1."S seat 19, or post of duty, and an assortment of cold cereals, sandwiches, pastry, and other foods may be provided therein, so that in case a patron desires he may supplement. his breakfast package with a wide choice. Of course it will be understood that when one cabinet 18 open for business the other will be closed, depending on which way the car is running, and, hence, which is the proper station of the conductor at the particular time.

esaeoo Each chair 13 is provided with a back 20 extending parallel to the longitudinal cen tral line of the car, and on the rear face of each said back 20 is provided an arm rest 21 for the companion chair 52:2 having a back 23 1 Each chair 13 with its back 20 is station my and immovable, whereas each chair with its back 23, while fixed in relative position, may be swung about its axis to face either in the direction illustatcd in Fig. l, which is at right angles to the chairs 13, or in the reverse direction, also at right angles to the chairs 13, according to the direction of travel of the car. Said seats :22 may be of any known and usual detail construction, not shown, which will permit such turning or swinging about their respective axes. In operation they will not make a complete rotation, since seats 13 with their backs 20 would interfere, but instead they will swing through approximately 180 degrees.

At each end of the car there will be two similar seats 13 having backs 20", the correspmiding seats 22 being omitted adjacent said seats 13 to provide more entrance and exit space 2t for passengers.

A central aisle connects the two spaces 21, and on the other side thereof I provide in pairs seats 22 having backs 23" and staggered with relation to the seats 22 so as to permit of the employment of a narrower aisle 25 than usual to compensate for the space taken, in a transverse direction, by the shelf 1, said seats 2:2 with their backs 523 being reversible by being turned about their axes through 180 degrees, and being of any usual and known detail construction such as to permit such turning.

At each end of the row of seats 22" and across from the seats 13 I provide a short breakfast shelf 1 which will preferably have associated with it the same accommodations mentioned with respect to shelf 1, the provision of these shelves 1 being for the purpose of permitting segregation of races, particularly in those States having laws requiring such segregation, seats 13 having backs 20 being arranged before said shelves 1" and being in all respects the same as seats 3 and 13 with their backs 20 and 20 respectively,

After a passenger has finished his breakfast he is supposed to dispose of his trash and leave the seat 13 etc. he may be occupying and take one of the regular passenger seats 23 or 23, so making room at the breakfast shelf for some other passenger who may wish to breakfast.

For the convenience of the passengers newspaper racks G to be filled with morning newspapers are arranged on the side of the car distant from the shelf 1 and between each two pairs of seats 22, the pas sengers taking such papers as they desire and tending lengthwise thereof, a row of chairs permanentl facing and extending under 7 said shelf, ispensing means arranged above said shelf and at convenient points lengthwise thereof with respect to the respective chairs of said row of chairs, a corresponding row of chairs arranged in close proximity to the chairs of the first row and facing'at right angles thereto, the corresponding chairs of the said rowsbeing arranged in pairs in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the car, said pairs being spaced from each other as usual lengthwise of the car, in combination with a plurality of pairs of chairs disposed on the opposite side of the car, the chairs of each of said pairs being adapted to face endwise of the car, the pairs of chairs on one side of the car being staggered with relation to the pairs of chairs on the other side of the car, whereby the central aisle of the car may be narrower than usual to compensate for the space taken in a transverse direction by said shelf while permitting free passage of the passengers lengthwise of the car.

2. A breakfast car comprising, a shelf adjacentto one side wall thereof and extending lengthwise thereof, a row of chairs permanently facing and extending under said shelf, an arm rest formed on the back of each chair, dispensing means arranged above said shelf and at convenient points lengthwise thereof with respect to the chairs of said row of chairs, a corresponding row of chairs arranged in close proximity to the chairs of the first row and facing at right angles thereto, the corresponding chairs of said rows being arranged in pairs in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the car, the chairs of each said pair being arranged in such close proximity in a transverse direction that the arm rest on the back of the one will be located conveniently to a passenger seated in theother, and said pairs being spaced from each other as usual lengthwise of the car, in combination with a plurality of pairs of chairs disposed'on the opposite side of the car, both of the chairs of each said pair being adapted to face endwise of the car, the pairs of chairs on one side of the car being staggered with relation to the pairsof chairs on the other side of the car, whereby the central aisle of the car may be narrower than usual to compensate for the space taken in a transverse direction by said shelf while permitting the free passage of the passengers lengthwise of the car. 7

3. A breakfast car comprising, a shelf adjacent to one side wall thereof and extending lengthwise thereof, and a row of chairs permanently mounted adjacent thereto, in combination with a plurality of liquid dispensers arranged above said shelf and at convenient points lengthwise thereof with respect to said row of chairs, a plurality of waste receptacles disposed beneath said shelf and at convenient points with relation to the respective chairs of said row, and a plurality of other chairs fixed in position with each of said chairs of said row.

4. A breakfast car comprising, a shelf adjacent to one side wall thereof and extending lengthwise thereof, and arow of chairs permanently facing and extending under said shelf, in combination with a plurality of liquid dispensers arranged above said shelf and at points lengthwise thereof convenient to each of said chairs, a plurality of compartments arranged between each two liquid dispensers and above said shelf at a point convenient to each of said chairs of said row and adapted to contain solids, a

plurality of waste receptacles disposed beneath said shelf and respectively at convenient points with relation to the respective chairs of said row, whereby the occupants of said chairs may conveniently serve themselves andldispose of their waste; and a plurality of other chalrs arranged at'fixed points with relation to said row of chairs.

said chairs, a plurality of compartments ar- 7 ranged between said dispensers and above 7 said shelf convenient to the respective chairs of said row and adapted to contain sol1d foods and eating and drinking vessels and utensils, a plurality of waste receptacles dis 1 posed beneath said shelf and at convenient points with respect to the respective chairs of said row of chairs, and means communicating with said groove in said shelf and extending through the floor of said car for disposing of any liquids that may be split on said shelf and flowinto said groove.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification at Washington, D. C. this 27th day of June, 1928., INEZ WILLIAMS 

